Compare The Polls in Week #4
September 24, 2007 by bcsbusters
At this point in the season, as we head into Week #5 (Yikes, almost the halfway point of the regular season), the polls are starting to take on increasing levels of validity, although I still don’t think we should release a poll until after October first.
I am still convinced there is very little difference between the Big Four: LSU, USC, Florida and Oklahoma - and arguably - you could even include West Virginia and California into the mix as both of these teams are significantly better than Nebraska, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Miami and Tennesee - the key opponents that have fared poorly against the Big-Four.
Most people around the country, especially in SEC Nation, would scoff at such a proclamation, but we simply don’t have enough head to head competitions to state otherwise. And what about Clemson and Boston College, two programs that BCSBusters is high on, who are flying suspiciously under the various Top-25 radars around the country.
I’m not sure why the other polls are so high on Texas, Rutgers, Wisconsin and SEC stalwarts Georgia and South Carolina, although I have my suspicions! And why is Virginia Tech ranked so highly, given Arizona State and Cincinnati have out-performed them, both statistically and in the affective domain, commonly called the beauty-pageant version of the Top-25 criteria standard? How about the conference comparison campaigns…last week SI comes out with a Las Vegas Bookie angle, proclaiming superiority for the PAC-10 and suddenly four days later, Stewart Mandel leads with his column, the SEC rules? Make up your mind guys…is it the SEC or is it the PAC-10?
Lost in all the hoopla is the fact that the Big-Four found within the Top-25, is a microcosm of what is going on at the conference level throughout the country. For, in comparison amongst one another, the Big-Four is just about as balanced within the conferences across the country, as it is in the Top-25…can you remember anytime in history where things have been so evenly calibrated?
Let’s compare the Top-Four from each of the BCS Conferences before SEC Nation jumps to conclusions.
The Big-Four:
SEC: LSU, Florida, Kentucky and Georgia…with Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn a shade away…and which direction will Tennessee fall in the second half of 2007?
ACC: Boston College, Clemson, Wake Forest and take your pick…Miami or Florida State…with Georgia Tech and Virginia both going in opposite directions - just within the last two weeks.
Big East: West Virginia, Rutgers, South Florida and Cincinnati…and how about UCONN, much improved over last year…and you still need to score 40 to beat Louisville, no matter how bad their defense has been, while you may even struggle to get your offense going against PITT.
Big-12: Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri…with Kansas rising swiftly, and who can tell the difference between K-State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech…they will likely cannibalize each other by the end of the season.
Big-10: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State and Purdue…with Michigan coming hard on the inside…and how about Ron Zook with Illinois, certain to make some noise not only in the distant future, but possibly by the end of this season.
The PAC-10: USC, CAL, Oregon and Arizona State…with UCLA trying to figure out if it belongs among college football’s elite…and Washington, Washington State, Oregon State and Arizona battling inconsistency, even Stanford looks to be improved.
And what about the Non-BCS factor? Hawai’i is the only team thus far…and they barely beat Louisiana Tech…why are they ranked in the Top-25…although Boise State is surging again, perhaps we will see another epic non-BCS WAC match-up in November…and I haven’t even mentioned the “Men of Troy” - Alabama style?
Why then are we constantly harping on this conference superiority B (C) S when every conference seems to have an equal number of teams who are legitimate contenders every year, while the balance of the conference members battle over consistency issues from season-to-season?
They all look about the same to me and the bottom line is you better show up and play on any given Saturday, because if you turn the ball over like Oregon State or give up huge chunks of real estate like Louisville, or fail to play consistently on offense like Penn State, or fail to improve your defense like Oregon…you will most certainly get your eye blackened and your tail handed to you by nearly everyone in Division I-A…and even Division I-AA as North Dakota State, Appalachian State and New Hampshire have proven thus far!
WEEK #4 POLL COMPARISON (SEPTEMBER 23, 2007)
| BCSBusters Poll | AP Writers Poll | Coaches Poll | CBS Sports Poll |
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| BCSBusters Poll | AP Writers Poll | Coaches Poll | CBS Sports Poll |
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Just Off The BCSBuster Week #3 Radar!
Dropping Out Of The BCSBuster Top-25!
BCSBusters Poll - Top-25 Conference Results:
SEC: 6 (1, 4, 12, 20, 21 & 24)
Big-12: 4 (3, 11, 19 & 25)
PAC-10: 4 (2, 6, 10 & 13)
Big-East: 4 (5, 14, 15, & 17)
Big-10: 5 (8, 16, 18, 22 & 23)
ACC: 3 (7, 9 & 25)
Just for the sake of argument…Penn St. gets beaten by Michigan, why are they even mentioned in the Top 25? Why is Clemson ranked higher than UK, when UK beat them last year in the bowl game? Who has Oregon beaten that makes them a Top 15 team?
I think these are very valid points, and one reason I am hyping my BCSBusters playoff proposal is for this very reason…you can’t tell the difference between these teams. What you can count on is the schools who were a part of the unionized alliance called the College Football Association will be rewarded in the polling system.
As I evaluate the teams on a week to week basis by watching all the games, I try to base my decision on who I think has performed better at this point. And I start of the season tilted heavy to the defensive side, but as the season progresses I’d like to see a more balanced program on offense and defense.
Essentially I want to see how a team performs when they should blow out a team, when they fall a score or two behind and how they fare in a heavyweight tilt. Your points are valid for beauty is in the eye of the beholder and we are all guilty of rewarding the sexy pick when others are equally qualified. With the BCSBusters Model, this would all settle itself, for all the other sports have a poll, but it is virtually meaningless until the end of the season. In college football, the pre-season and the first Harris Poll are vitally important, which is totally wrong due to bias and discrimination. College football is all about the eye ball test.